Electrical scenic effect.



R. H. BURNSIDE.

ELECTRICAL SCENIC EFFECT.

APPLlCATION FILED ocr. I5, 1915.

1,174,966. Patentd Mar. 14,1916.

i E E I E E E I 5 I I V ac I I E i 7 'n-u: COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cO.. WASHINGTON, n. C.

ROBERT H. BURNSIDE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRICAL SCENIC EFFECT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14, 191 -6.

Application filed October 15, 1915. Serial No. 56,100.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, ROBERT H. BURNSIDE, a subject of the King of England, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Scenic Effects; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as 3. 0 will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

T his invention relates to electrical scenic effects and more particularly to the construction of drops and the like for theater work.

It has for an object to provide an improved construction for a floral and elec rical scenic production and for a construction to permit the support of human beings as participants in the production of the effect.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a ladder construction in which the rungs are so constructed as to permit the projection of light therefrom, while at the same time to afford suflicient protection for the light from participants of a scenic efl'ect using such a ladder.

Further objects are to provide a floral and electrical display in which the imitation flowers include incandescent bulbs and said incandescent bulbs are arranged in separate circuits to permit an ordinary flasher successively lighting different incandescent bulbs relatively fixed upon the trellis work of the display.

. Further objects will be apparent from the following specification, appended claims and drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the proscenium of the stage showing a drop composed of the elements of this invention, and Fig. 2 is a detailed perspective view of a limited part of the drop showing the essential features of the illumination.

This invention has a wide diversity of applications which will be apparent from the following description which is restricted to the production of an electrical scenic effect for theatrical work in which human participants cooperate with the electrical and floral portions to produce the scenic effect.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown an ordinary stage having a drop 10 which comprises a plurality of ladders 11 between which is the trellis work 12 and upon this trellis work are strewn the imitation flowers incandescent bulbs are attached the leaves 17. The bulbs 1 1 ill'u connected in different circuits so that by the ordinary flasher of common use, the bulbs of each circuit may be illuminated intern'littently. The conductors 16 from the bulbs 11 are branches from the cables 18 and these-cables may be interlaced with the trellis work 12 to properly dispose the bulbs 14 thereover and these cables also supply current for the bulbs 19 which are disposed in the tubular rungs 20 of the ladders 11. These tubular rungs are provided with the rows of perforations 21 which per the projection of light from the bulbs 19 within these tubular rungs and the per forations 21 are so disposed as to present the appearance of a plurality of small lights attached to said rungs. It is seen that in inclosing the bulb 19 in the protective shell, it is protected when said ladder is used by participants in the scenic effect and also the illumination occurs where desired without being displaced in the use of the ladder. The rungs 20 are supported by the vertical "ables 22 which may be flexible or rigid as desired, and which may be attached to clamps 23 about the rungs 20.

T o produce the effect, a number of participants ascend the ladders in a systematic order and assume positions on said ladders in properly elected positions at which time, the rungs of the ladders and the floral effect are illuminated as by the flash tointermittently light and extinguish said lights in different timed relations as is clearly understood.

Various modifications may be made within the scope of this invention without dc parting from the spirit thereof, and the drawing submitted herewith is for illustrative purposes only.

Having thus described this invention, 1 claim 1. A scenic effect comprising an electrical and floral display, a trellis work to support said electrical and floral displays, and ladders in said trellis work, said ladders having illuminating rungs.

2. 3i scenic effect comprising a series of ladders, trellis work therebetween, combined electrical and floral displays carried by said 5 Walls of said rungs.

SQA scenic eflfect comprising a series of ladders, trelhs Work therebetween, comb ned electrical and floral displays carried by said 7 I trellis, said electrical displays being in separate circuits of which the lights of the different circuits may be illuminated differently and intermittently, saidladders having tuhular rungs, electrical lighting elements in said rungs, the lightfrom said lighting elements'being projected through the Walls of 15 said rungs, and said lighting elementsin said rungs being intermittently lighted.

'In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of tWo wltnesses.

ROBERT H. BURNSIDE. Y

lVitnesses: I

GEORGE L. THQM, HUGO MOOK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner-of Patents,

Washington, D. C. V i 

